ITIL News The Art of Service

Financial regulatory guidance over deployment of open source software (IT-Director.com)Should there be financial regulatory guidance over the growing use of open source software in the UK financial services sector?
Adobe releases new Flash software for mobile devices (InfoWorld)( InfoWorld ) - Adobe Systems on Tuesday introduced Macromedia Flash Lite 2 and Macromedia Flash Player SDK 7, […]

Advanced Help Desk Launches Its New Web Based Help Desk Software Solution To Improve Online Customer Service (PR Web)AdvancedHelpDesk.com: Recent creation of a Web-based customer support & service desk software solution saves online business owners tons of customer support hours and improve customer service while reducing costs. [PRWEB Dec 29, 2005]
The Manager Minute (Sun-Sentinel)Math was […]

Pen pals (San Francisco Bay View)Speak up for a child in foster care. San Francisco’s foster children need your help. Be a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Men and people of color are especially needed. Training provided. Call for upcoming orientations dates and locations, 415-398-8001. Info, www.sfcasa.org.
Autotask Offers Professional Services Group (RedNova)RENSSELAER, N.Y., Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ […]

Juniper Networks Layered Security Solution (ISP-Planet)Wombat Help Desk works with the Platypus Billing System to manage trouble tickets in a way that ensures problems get resolved.
Cell Phone Users Dissatisfied With Online Help: Report (Advanced IP Pipeline)Web access is extremely important according to 83% of cell phone users, yet only 29% are currently satisfied with using […]

Speedev enhances application lifecycle offering (InfoWorld via Yahoo! News)Speedev this week upgraded its application development lifecycle offering that is geared toward managing software products and projects.
A look at Joe Nacchio (Denver Post)New York Brooklyn’s gritty neighborhood of Red Hook is less than an hour’s drive from woodsy Mendham, N.J., but the two places are worlds […]

Ford’s Fix Could Send Help Desk Offshore (Systems Management Pipeline)General Motors Corp. isn’t the only troubled automaker looking to run a more-efficient IT shop. Under a new outsourcing deal, Ford Motor Co. is driving toward a more-simplified IT operation by centralizing key technology operations and aggressively adopting standards.
Fujitsu Siemens to buy Siemens unit (InfoWorld)( InfoWorld […]

Pen pals (San Francisco Bay View)Speak up for a child in foster care. San Francisco’s foster children need your help. Be a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Men and people of color are especially needed. Training provided. Call for upcoming orientations dates and locations, 415-398-8001. Info, www.sfcasa.org.
EU threatens Microsoft with penalties (BusinessWeek)DEC. 22 6:50 A.M. ET […]

Ford’s Fix Could Send Help Desk Offshore (Systems Management Pipeline)General Motors Corp. isn’t the only troubled automaker looking to run a more-efficient IT shop. Under a new outsourcing deal, Ford Motor Co. is driving toward a more-simplified IT operation by centralizing key technology operations and aggressively adopting standards.
IBM Acquiring Bowstreet (Business Intelligence Pipeline)The move will […]

LiveTime Software Announces Version 3.7 of its Java-Based Customer Service and Support Applications with Integrated (PR Web via Yahoo! News)Newport Beach, CA (PRWEB) December 14, 2005 — LiveTime Software , a leading provider of Java -based Customer Service and Support software, today announced the availability of LiveTime Help Desk version 3.7 and LiveTime Support Desk […]

LiveTime Software and Rave Computer Announce Hardware Distribution and Sales Agreement (PR Web)Partnership Expands to Include Help Desk and Support Desk Appliances [PRWEB Nov 29, 2005]
HELP DESK: Record company recalls CDs (The Charlotte Observer)To understand what record company Sony BMG did that was so despicable — and why a pair of lawsuits were filed against […]

Come learn about the new single point for web authentication for Dartmouth. This will eventually replace several of the sign-ons offered now. more…
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Students getting help from the Student Computing Help Desk, in all likelihood, will walk away happy.
Posted on 03/20/06. more…
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The allure of Dartmouth’s Computer Store. You can buy all things Dell or Apple at a very reasonable discount.
Posted on 03/13/06. more…
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Updated information for the < Previous | Next > style in OmniUpdate.
Updated on 3/9/06. more…
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Setting up your Windows PC to work correctly with OmniUpdate.
Posted 3/8/06. more…
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How to invite others to a meeting using Oracle Calendar.
Updated on 03/01/06. more…
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Why you may not be able to connect to the network, even if your computer is configured properly.
Updated on 03/01/06. more…
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Secure document servers allow departments to maintain documents that contain sensitive data on a central server.
Updated on 03/01/06. more…
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Updated instructions for importing a certificate.
Updated on 03/01/06. more…
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Instructions on what to do if you get an error when you run the “eToken Properties” application on Windows 2000/XP.
Updated on 03/01/06. more…
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How students, faculty, and staff can get an eToken.
Posted on 03/01/06. more…
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New staff members in System Administration.
Updated on 03/01/06. more…
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Instructions for installing the eToken software for Windows, the Macintosh, and Linux.
Updated on 03/01/06. more…
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Instructions for protecting your Windows computer from being compromised.
Updated on 03/01/06. more…
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Computing Services is holding its next quarterly Open House on March 3, 2006 from 2:30 to 4:00 in Carson classroom L02 (lower level).
Posted on 2/16/05. more…
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Slides from the most recent meeting have been posted as well as March 9th’s topic: An open discussion on AJAX. more…
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Instructions on how to do your own backup for both Macintosh and Windows users
Posted on 2/10/06. more…
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Aladdin eToken 3.60 for Linux supports Fedora 4, Red Hat Enterprise 4, and SuSe 9.3. This release provides PKCS#11 interface support. Aladdin eTokens are interchangeable across Windows, the Macintosh, and Linux computers when using this software.
Posted 02/09/06. more…
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Dartmouth Web Publishing Services provides the OmniUpdate content management system for clients to create, update, and maintain Web pages. This user guide covers basic steps in Web publishing. For additional information, click “Help” when logged in.
Posted on 1/30/06. more…
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The minutes from the December 1, 2005 meeting of the Council on Computing.
Posted on 01/25/06. more…
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The minutes from the October 19, 2005 meeting of the Council on Computing.
Posted on 01/25/06. more…
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How to test your Kerberos software installation to verify everything is working properly.
Reviewed on 10/4/05; no changes made. more…
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During the end of year holidays and special break days, Computing Services service points and staff offices will be closed from Friday, December 23, 2005 through Monday, January 2, 2006.
Posted on 12/1/05. more…
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Added information on the security initiatives currently under way.
Updated on 11/23/05. more…
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Why an eToken-authenticated VPN connection closes when left open for a long time with the eToken removed.
Posted on 11/13/05. more…
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“Blackboard” is much more than a tabula rasa. It’s a course management system that enables faculty members to construct and maintain their own virtual classrooms.
Posted on 10/31/05. more…
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A list of the dates the Council on Computing will meet in 2005-2006.
Posted 10/31/05. more…
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Voting and non-voting members of the Council on Computing for 2005-2006.
Posted on 10/31/05. more…
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The minutes from the May 5, 2005 meeting of the Council on Computing.
Posted on 10/31/05. more…
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E-Mail account quotas for BlitzMail have been increased from 150 MB to 600 MB.
Posted on 10/31/05. more…
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First 4 Figures announced today that it has entered a three-year licensing agreement with Nintendo for the rights to create Zelda statues. The first in the series of statues will be previewed E3 and then they should hit the market some time in the third quarter(fall). The statues will be around 9 to 12 […]

Today at GDC Satoru Iwata announced the name and details on the new Zelda game on the DS. The title is Phantom Hourglass and it will use 3D graphics that are similar to Wind Wakers. This game is looking to be very good with unique use of the touch screen and some other interesting […]

I updated the media section with over 35 Guitar Tabs so go check them out now if your a guitarist. I need a Media Gallery system to upload much of the other media(videos,sprites etc) but I need a mysql database. So I’m going to finish off the Flash Creations,Screensavers, and Music befor I […]

Satoru Iwata is going to be speaking at this years GDC on Thursday so lets hope that some new Twilight Princess media or information comes out of his keynote. Will Wright(Go Spore!) will be speaking on Thursday as well.
I’m going to be doing another big update with the media section hopefully tomorrow. more…
ITIL Training […]

I updated and pictofied the Link’s Awakening Boss Guide aswell as a huge update in the up-till-now nonexistent media section. I completed the Cartoons,Comics & Books,Fan Comics,Fan Videos,Fonts, and Sheet Music sections. I’m still working on filling up the others and adding more to the ones we have now. You may also have noctied that […]

Words of Miyamoto himself:
“I would say that we are progressing well with completing it,” says Miyamoto. “And one of the most important features is that, because Revolution can run GameCube software, when you play Twilight Princess on Revolution you can take advantage of the Revolution controller.”
Source nintendo-europe.com more…
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As you can see we have a nice new layout up! This works in all browsers,not just FireFox.Thanks goes to Killswitch of Zelda Legacy for making it. I’m still working on tweaking a few things on the pages so every thing will look great with the layout.
I’m also planning on buying Invision Power Board for […]

Hyrule Kingdom is the newest of our affiliates Check them out at hyrulekingdom.net/ more…
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Hyrule.net got their hands on a new screenshot from thebeta of Twilight Princess.
Click here to view image
“look closely and you might see something new” is all they say about it.
The image has been faked more…
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I have updated the news archives with the newsfrom last month. more…
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 Nortel Networks Corp. clarified yesterday
that its plans to restate results back to 2003 are not because the company is
investigating improper conduct.
“The company wishes to clarify that Nortel’s internal
and external auditors have not undertaken an investigation as to whether any
improper conduct may be associated with the need to effect the latest
restatement,” the company said in […]

Every parent’s worst nightmare is
about to become every CEO’s worst nightmare, now that the so-called millennials
(whippersnappers born after 1977) are entering the workforce. The generation gap
will seem bigger than ever, with employees who don’t value money as much as
older folks, crave constant feedback and rarely hesitate to offer their
opinion - whether it’s asked for or not. […]

This
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Template Version 4.0 was just
released. It is a MS Word document that can be used as a DRP - BCP template for
any enterprise. The template and supporting material have been updated to be
Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA compliant. The Disaster Planning Template
includes:

Disaster Recovery Plan and Business Continuity
Template
Business and IT […]

Along the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast, six months
after Hurricane Katrina struck, there is a big deadline ahead for IT managers:
June 1, the start of the next hurricane season.
As Mardi Gras was celebrated in the still-recovering
New Orleans this week, more than a dozen IT managers in Louisiana and
Mississippi said they are rushing to build more resilient […]

The IT Hiring Resource Kit
combines the 2006 Salary Survey and detail jobdescriptions as a bundle that
every Information Technology and Human Resource function need to
have. 
Each of the job descriptions is at least 3 pages
long and has been updated to meet the requirements of HIPAA and Sarbanes Oxley.
The kit comes in three versions.  Detail information can be found […]

If you have the technical skills would-be high-tech
African entrepreneurs need, GeekCorps wants you. Especailly if you can take four months from work to volunteer
in Zambia, South Africa or Kenya.  GeekCorps is part of International
Executive Service Corps, which is funded in
large part by USAID (that is the government connection.)
News.com profiles GeekCorps’ work in Mali:

Equipped with dust-resistant […]

A study of the 200 largest public companies
in California finds few women are reaching the highest executive ranks,
especially as CIO.
Of these companies, only four have women serving as
the CIO, according to a recent report by
the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis. It
found six women working as CEOs and 11 serving as […]

The IT Productivity Center, a division of Janco
Associates, Inc. announced an update to IT Service Management Template. IT
Service Management (ITSM) is defined as part of a rapidly accepted standard of
best practices known as IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). The IT Service
Management template joins the IT Productivity Center’s CIO and IT Productivity
series of tools and templates which […]

Honeywell International Inc. says a former
employee has disclosed sensitive information relating to 19,000 of the company’s
U.S. employees.
Honeywell discovered the information being published
on the Web on Jan. 20 and immediately had the Web site in question pulled down,
said company spokesman Robert Ferris.

In court filings dated Jan. 30, the company accused
former employee Howard Nugent of […]

About 365,000 hospice and home health care
patients in Oregon and Washington are being notified about the theft of computer
backup data disks and tapes late last month that included personal information
and confidential medical records.
In an announcement yesterday,
Providence Home Services, a division of Seattle-based Providence Health Systems,
said the records and other data were on several disks […]

Local colleges and job training centers are brimming
with re-entry students, men and women whose jobs disappeared with the burst of
the Information Technology bubble and the continuing economic downturn
that drove some companies to downsize and others to move operations to less
expensive foreign countries. 

Many of the displaced workers have
been offered retraining programs, and hundreds have entered or re-enrolled
in college to upgrade skills […]

Sprint Nextel Corp. recently launched a
professional services subsidiary focused on mobility applications, including
wireless voice and data technologies.
The announcement of Sprint Enterprise Mobility Inc.
is a clear sign of the growth in voice and data applications for large business
users, as well as the need for a general contractor that companies can hire to
oversee integration efforts.
[…]

The preliminary results of Janco’s January 2006 IT
Salary Survey shows that 93% of IT professionals have some form of company paid
health insurance. Other benefits that over 50% of these same individuals receive
are: life insurance (78%), 401K (71%), disability insurance - beyond mandated
requirements (58%), flexible hours and/or schedule (56%), personal performance
bonus (54%), and trips for planning […]

 
Add “employee retention” to the list of things Google
appears to be doing right. The company prides itself on managing its workers
according to the principles of business guru Peter Drucker, who advised
companies to “strip away everything that gets in their knowledge workers’ way.”
This list of 10 management practices, penned by CEO Eric Schmidt and Google
consultant Hal […]

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will add 250 new IT jobs
during the next year, filling the majority of the positions with new college
graduates rather than experienced IT veterans. The retail giant also plans to
promote about 25% of the IT personnel already on board.
The WalMart CIO said that they like the idea of
bringing in strong, young minds. Most […]

Variety is not only the spice of life; it may
offer a competitive advantage. In an increasingly diverse and complex business
world. CIOs and other managers must learn to value diversity. Employees with
different characteristics, experiences and viewpoints will offer varied insights
that companies can use to gain an edge. Janco suggests a five-stage plan:
Implement an assessment to help identify […]

Managing IT costs and the
service delivery process was just made easier with the release of The Metrics,
IT Service Management and Service Level Agreement bundle. < ?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/>
Delivering quality IT
Service and measuring IT’s performance is a difficult and time consuming
exercise. Many enterprises believe that they do not have the time, money, or
resources to […]

Deciding Whether to Fire

The person being fired should never be surprised
by what’s happening to him.

The person being fired had to have been given
explicit warnings prior to being fired.

The person being fired had to have been advised of
specific steps he needed to take to keep his job. […]

The job market for city CIOs is heating up, but the
required skills reach far beyond technology. To sell their governments and the
public on new ideas like wireless broadband, municipal CIOs also need sharp
communication skills and political know-how.
more…
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In Karraker v. Rent-A-Center, Inc, three brothers required to take
the MMPI in order to be considered for promotion sued their employer, contending
that the test violated the < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />ADAs prohibition against medical inquiries that
tend to screen out persons with disabilities.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
 
The District Court ruled […]

Going to work for
new company
When going to work for a new company
then there are some financial considerations that have to be taken into
account.  First and foremost assume the job will only last a year and that
you will need to look for another position while you are out of work. 

Go to http://www.ejobdescription.com/EmploymentContract.htm
more…
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Protecting Personal,
Confidential and Sensitive Data is Easier
Janco has just released another in
its series of Sarbanes-Oxley Tools, the Sensitive Information Policy.  This
new tool is a detailed 15 page policy that directly addresses the protection of
personal data, confidential data and enterprise sensitive information.  A
full description can be found on the Information Technology Productivity Center
(ITPC) web site (http://www.itproductivity.org/sensitive.htm). 

The […]

Sensitive Information Policy defines
how to treat Credit Card, Social Security, Employee, and Customer Data. 
The policy is 15 pages in length.
 
This policy applies to the
entire enterprise, its vendors, its suppliers (including outsourcers) and
co-location providers and facilities regardless of the methods used to store and
retrieve sensitive information (e.g. online processing, outsourced to a third
party, Internet, Intranet […]

Internet, E Mail and Electronic Communication Policy
(updated 5/23/05) - This policy is six page in length and
covers:

Appropriate use of equipment

Internet access

Electronic Mail

Retention of e-mail on personal systems

E-mail and business records retention

Copyrighted materials

Ownership of information

Security

Go to
http://www.ejobdescription.com/individual_policies.htm

more…
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The Security Manual Template has
been updated to include the Travel and Off-site Meeting Security
Guidelines.
Go to http://www.ejobdescription.com/security.htm
more…
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ITSM Updated

The IT Service Management Policy Template
is a 78 page document that contains policies, standards,  procedures and
metrics.  http://www.ejobdescription.com/itsm.htm
Chapter of the template include:

Service Requests
Policy

Service Request
Standard

Help Desk Policy

Help Desk
Standards

Help Desk
[…]

IT Productivity
Center Launched with Sarbanes Oxley Compliance Kit.
The Information Technology Productivity Center (ITPC)
web site (www.itproductivity.org) is officially
open with Janco’s Sarbanes Oxley Compliance Kit..  The IT < ?XML:NAMESPACE
PREFIX = ST1 />Productivity Center is the information portal for
business executives who have Information Technology they need to manage. 
Victor Janulaitis, Janco’s CEO said, “We have the best Information Technology
available […]

This Security Manual for the Internet and Information
Technology is 178  pages in length. All versions of the Security Manual
template include both the Business & IT Impact Questionnaire and the Threat
& Vulnerability Assessment Tool (both were redesigned to address Sarbanes
Oxley compliance).   In addition, the 

The Practical Guide for IT Outsourcing is
delivered electronically in WORD and/or PDF format.  Included is a 3 page Job Description for the Manager
Outsourcing. Sarbanes-Oxley issues addressed directly.

The guide is 113 packed pages and includes
everything needed to plan for, negotiate, and manage an outsourcing process
[…]

Job descriptions contained within the Internet and
Information Technology Position Descriptions HandiGuide® were
completed in 2005.  The Job Description HandiGuide contains 600 pages;
including sample organization charts, a job progression matrix, over 192 job
descriptions.   The book also addresses Fair Labor Standards and the
ADA, and is in a new easier to read format.  Each job description meets ADA
standards and the […]

Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 requires that:

Enterprises have an enterprise wide security
policy;

Enterprises have enterprise wide classification of
data for security, risk, and business impact;

Enterprises have security related standards and
procedures;

Enterprises have formal security based
documentation, auditing, and testing in place;

Enterprise enforce separation of duties;
and

Enterprises […]

The Information Technology Service
Management Policy Template (IT service management) contains policies,
standards,  procedures and metrics for Change Control, Help Desk and
Service Request processing.  ITSM template also contains the Business and
IT Impact Questionnaire, a Change Control Request Form and an Internet Use
Approval Form. more…
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[…] Via: backupmyblog | Ian Landsman’s Weblog […]
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HelpSpot a pretty cool web based help desk
I’ve been testing out HelpSpot for a some hours now as part of an assignment on Help Desks I have to do for college and I must say I’m pretty impressed with HelpSpot even if I did encounter some problems when installing it, at first it woul…
[…]

Your argument is pretty good if I want to sell to corporations. But what if I want to sell to end-users?
Also, some companies embrace OSS. They think that OSS gives them a guarantee that the software will be around even if the developer of the software calls it quits.
I think your analysis has a point, […]

Thanks Ian. You are probably the first subscriber Thanks for the info on the ATOM feed. I am using the RubyOnRails typo blog software, so that may have a bug in it. Thanks for pointing that out.
Tom
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Huh, that would be an interesting link
Also I subscribed to your blog, looking forward to reading what you’re up to. One note, your ATOM feed seems to be messed up but the RSS works perfect.
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Ian, great post. I agree, setting a price too low can actually hurt your business. A while back there was an article on Snort, the intrusion testing software, where the founder said his potential customers were coming back and saying they would love to buy Snort but the price was too low! I believe they […]

I agree, both regarding software and steak.
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Actually you can type r:xxxx can link to another “request” in HelpSpot and it will make a link
I’m not sure they’ll totally converge though. Not at least in the same product. I mean most people use FogBugz as a bug tracker. Those people probably wouldn’t want a product with a bunch of extra help desk […]

Good post Ian, a pretty fair appraisal I think.
I’ve been trying out Doug Martin’s BackupMyBlog service where he uses HelpSpot for his customer support interface, I can see what you mean, FogBugz doesn’t have the publicly available features that HelpSpot does, and Doug’s only using a little of HelpSpot’s features so far.
However, if I were […]

Indeed, that steak example is very good!
more…
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This program creates and displays graphs in 2D, 3D, and any other… more…
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This tool allows you to insert animated… more…
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This class scheduling and course planning software can be used in any… more…
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This is a barcode generator to calculate check characters for the… more…
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Migrate your e-mail messages to a different mail client, and export… more…
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This is a business card designing and printing software. more…
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This is a complete system for designing an online storefront, managing… more…
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